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Mouth of Wilson is anunincorporated community, inGrayson County in theU.S. state ofVirginia, just north of theNorth Carolina state line. The community lies in the Blue Ridge Highlands section of theBlue Ridge Mountains which are part of what is considered the 'MiddleAppalachian Mountains' on the western banks of theNew River, where the Big Wilson Creek empties its waters. The main road through the area isU.S. Route 58; other major roads includeVirginia Route 16 andVirginia Route 93 (County Line Road).
The name Mouth of Wilson originates from a young surveyor named Wilson, who died and was buried in a creek while surveying the line between Virginia andNorth Carolina in 1749. The creek was henceforth known as the Wilson Creek, the mouth of which empties into the New River where the town was established. The first European settler in the region was Robert Parsons, a veteran of theAmerican Revolutionary War who was awarded a grant of 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) from the North Carolina line to Wilson Creek. One of Parsons' nine sons, Johnny Parsons, built the first mill on the creek. The mill was built to grind corn, with a sawmill as an extension. Johnny Parsons served one term as the overseer of the South Fork and New River Turnpike in theVirginia General Assembly. Another mill was constructed in 1884 by Colonel Fields J. McMillan. The community built a power dam in 1930, introducing electricity to Mouth of Wilson.[1]
Oak Hill Academy, aBaptist-affiliated secondary school, is located in Mouth of Wilson. Oak Hill was built in 1878. Rev. W. A. Hash became principal in 1923 and oversaw the accreditation of the school and construction of dormitories, a water system, and electric lines.[1] In recent history, the school has earned eight national basketball championships since 1993, becoming widely recognized for its athletic programs.[2] Most students are boarders, causing the population of Mouth of Wilson to increase substantially during the school year.
Municipalities and communities ofGrayson County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
36°35′22″N81°20′11″W / 36.58944°N 81.33639°W /36.58944; -81.33639